Islanders take Verizon in regular season finale

The Verizon Sluggers ended the season on a low note, as they once again were unable to extinguish the Islanders, and fell victim to their fourth seeded rivals 20-12 in the final game of the regular season of the Island Wide Fast Pitch Softball League at the Oleai Sports Complex.

The Islanders jumped all over the Sluggers right from the start as they scored five runs off of four hits in the top of the first inning and followed them up with five more in the top of the second.

By the end of the third inning, the Islanders had scored 14 runs off of 12 hits compared to the Sluggers two runs off of five hits. Verizon finally dialed up some sanity and halted the Islanders offense in the top of the fourth, while their hitters went online for four runs off of four hits to creep back into the game, 14-6.

The comeback continued in the fifth, as the Sluggers blanked the Islanders again in the top of the inning, and added another run to their total when Leo Bobai crossed the plate to make the score 14-7.

After Jeff Cabrera scored for the Islanders in the top of the sixth inning, Eric Tenorio, John Sablan, and Gloyd Martin all streaked across the plate for the Sluggers to bring the game within reach for Verizon at 15-10.

The Islanders put an end to the comeback in the top of the seventh with a little help from the Verizon pitching, as three walked batters were turned into runs amidst a five-run, three hit inning.

The Sluggers added a couple of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but they were unable to get out of the hole that they dug for themselves early in the game.

Center fielder Jeff Cabrera went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Islanders with a single, a double, and five scores despite two walks and being plunked in his first at bat. Right fielder Manny Tenorio finished the game 2-for-5 for the Islanders, with a two-run triple and an inside the park grand slam homerun. Tenorio ended up with six runs batted in on the night, while teammate Ben Duenas went a perfect 5-for-5 with five singles, two scores, and a run batted in.

The teams will meet again this Monday night, Feb. 1, at 7:30pm, as the playoffs get under way to determine who has what it takes to unseat the pennant winning Saipancell/NMC Proa. The D-9ers have their crack at the season champs in the first game of the double-header at 6:30pm.

The postseason will continue on Wednesday, Feb. 2, with the winner of the 7:30pm from Monday night’s game taking on the loser of the 6:30pm game at 6:30pm at the Oleai Sports Complex.